The “magic” product for caring for white laundry is sodium percarbonate powder solid hydrogen peroxide.
If you look at the ingredients in “special whites” stain-removing powders sold in supermarkets, you will see that they are made up of more than 95% sodium percarbonate. In the remaining few percent, you will find various chemicals: fragrance, an activator and generally optical brighteners in other words, a synthetic blue colouring that creates the illusion of white laundry that looks “whiter than white”.
Be careful: sodium percarbonate should not be used on wool or silk.
CARING FOR WHITE LAUNDRY
For everyday care of white laundry, add one tablespoon of sodium percarbonate to the drum or detergent drawer, in addition to your usual laundry detergent, when washing a load of whites.
You can also prepare a “special whites” laundry powder: see the recipe.
Please note that sodium percarbonate is only active from 40°C and performs best from 60°C onwards.
REMOVING STAINS AND REVIVING WHITENESS
If you have a garment or household linen that has become a little grey or yellow, needs a deep clean or has a few stains, follow this method: in a basin or in a bath if there is a lot of fabric, pour in very hot water and add sodium percarbonate one teaspoon 5 g per litre of water. Leave to soak for 1 to 2 hours beyond that, the sodium percarbonate is no longer active and then machine wash the item.
Examples of garments and household linen I have managed to “save” thanks to sodium percarbonate: a cream T-shirt stained with red wine, baby bodysuits with stool stains, reusable makeup remover pads, white canvas trainers, light beige sofa covers, cream cushion covers.